After the Cardinals pulled off a 34-20 win over previously undefeated Winnebago, fullback Zac Hare updated the statement.

“The rematch turned into redemption,” Hare said after rushing for 228 yards and four touchdowns. “That loss to them humbled us. This win, well, this win gets our confidence rolling again.”

The Cardinals fell 26-20 to Winnebago in the regular-season finale — the first time they’d lost to the Indians in 17 years — handing the Indians the outright title in the Big Northern Conference West Division instead of grabbing a share of it. But Stillman Valley (10-2) got another shot at Winnebago (11-1) with a bid to the state semifinals on the line, and Hare and the Cardinals outlasted the Indians this time.

“The one thing we always hope we’ve instilled in our guys is to play all 48 minutes, every game,” said Stillman Valley coach Mike Lalor, who led the Cardinals to four state titles from 1999 to 2009 and a runner-up finish in 2010. “Things looked bleak there for awhile, but they stuck it through, and played all 48 minutes in this one.”

Hare plowed over two Indian would-be tacklers and outran two more for a 60-yard touchdown to open up the scoring, and he capped off a 15-play, 6:01 drive with a 1-yard bullying TD run as well. But he had just 22 yards on his other seven first-half carries, and Winnebago’s depth shone through as they pushed it to a 14-14 halftime tie with a late-second-quarter score.

“We were battling, and we definitely left it all out there on the field — everything,” said Pate, who had 96 yards rushing on 15 carries. “But Stillman Valley, well, they’re a great team, and they got us in the second half.”

Pate’s teammate Nolan Peterson hurdled a Cardinal defender at the goal line during an 8-yard TD run to give the Indians its only lead of the game, 20-14, late in the third quarter. And when Hare was stuffed on fourth down of Stillman Valley’s next drive, the Indians appeared to be in the driver’s seat.

“At that point, we felt good. But we knew it would only take a couple of plays to change things,” Winnebago coach Mark Helm said. “And it was; it was just a couple of plays. A couple of missed tackles, a couple of missed assignments, and that was it.”

Page 2 of 2 - At least five of those missed tackles came at the hands (and feet) of Hare, who took over down the stretch. After averaging 3.6 yards per carry on everything in the first three quarters except his long touchdown run, Hare averaged nearly 18 yards per rush the rest of the way.

Stillman Valley scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns — the last two coming on a 44-yard run and a 38-yard charge for TDs by Hare — and hauled in two late interceptions of Winnebago quarterback Ryan Swigart (9-for-16 for 63 yards) to seal the win.

Cardinal QB Connor McNames attempted just one pass in the windy and rainy conditions, but Stillman Valley outgained the Indians 361-229 on the ground.

Next up for the Cardinals is Aurora Christian in next weekend’s 3A semis. Stillman Valley has vaulted into the semis for the sixth time in the last 16 years, but Aurora Christian is a power-packed, two-time defending state champion.

“They’re the elite team of the class,” Lalor said. “It’s time to see what we’ve really got.”